Crew is unique. The most expensive equipment in the sport — the shell, the oars, the riggers — belongs to the club. Your job is showing up ready to row. The personal kit is modest.
One thing to understand before buying anything: your club will have specific uniform requirements. Most junior programs require a unisuit (also called “trou” in rowing culture) in the club’s colors. Buy nothing until you’ve confirmed what your program needs.
First season (Ages 12–15, novice rowers)
The first season is mostly on the water learning technique, with some erg (rowing machine) time mixed in. The gear list is short.
A unisuit (trou)
The rowing uniform. One-piece, snug-fitting, usually a Lycra or spandex blend. Worn directly over the body with nothing underneath on the seat (friction on the seat pad is a real problem in a boat; extra layers create it). Most clubs require a specific color or design.
Confirm the club’s requirement before buying. Some programs have a team unisuit they sell. Others let athletes buy their own in the right color. A unisuit from a rowing specialty retailer like Vespoli or CRI costs $40–80 new. Used from Facebook Marketplace is fine if the fabric isn’t stretched out.
Technical shorts or biking shorts for erg days
On the erg (rowing machine), some rowers wear shorts over the unisuit. Others just wear the unisuit. Ask what’s normal for your program. Lightweight athletic shorts with no inseam seam in the wrong place work fine for erg sessions.
A windbreaker — technical, not cotton
You will be on the water before dawn in February. Wind chill on a river at 6am in early spring is real. A technical windbreaker (nylon or polyester, water-resistant, lightweight enough to pack) is the piece of outerwear that actually matters. Avoid anything with cotton. Cotton holds water weight and gets cold against the skin.
What you’re looking for: packable, wind-resistant, fits over a unisuit and a long-sleeve base layer. A running or cycling windbreaker works fine. You don’t need a rowing-specific jacket.
Long-sleeve base layer
For cold-weather practice, a fitted moisture-wicking long-sleeve shirt under the unisuit is the right call. Polyester or nylon. Not cotton. Layering over a unisuit on the water means keeping the layers thin enough that they don’t bind or bunch inside the boat.
Technical socks
Regular cotton socks get wet and cause blisters in the boat. Two pairs of moisture-wicking socks — thermal weight for cold weather practice, lightweight for warmer days — handle the whole season. The club provides the boat shoes (the foot stretcher that mounts inside the shell), so you’re not buying rowing shoes.
Sunglasses with a retainer
Rowers spend hours on open water in direct sunlight. The reflection off the water intensifies UV exposure significantly. A pair of sunglasses that won’t blow off in a stroke (use a retainer strap) is practical gear, not an accessory.
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Youth sport sunglasses with retainer strap
Wrap-style sport sunglasses with UV400 protection. Use a retainer strap to keep them on during the drive and stroke cycle.
Our take: Water reflection doubles UV exposure. This is not an optional accessory for a rower who is on the river six days a week.
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Sunscreen
Same reason. Bring it to every practice and apply before you get on the water. Once you’re in the shell, you’re not stopping to reapply.
SPF 50 sport sunscreen — travel size
Water-resistant sport sunscreen in a travel-size tube. Apply before getting in the boat. Reapply on the dock during longer morning practices.
Our take: Put it in the kit, not on the maybe-I'll-bring-it list. Early spring morning sun on water is intense even when it doesn't feel hot.
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Competitive level (Ages 15+, varsity and club racing)
At this level, athletes have more opinions about equipment and the coach is the right person to consult. A few additions make sense.
A second set of base layers
Once your rower is practicing six days a week, one set of cold-weather layers isn’t enough. A second base layer set means you’re not air-drying something overnight between early morning practices.
A water bottle with a cap that doesn’t leak
Camelback-style bottles with bite valves get gross in a boat and usually aren’t allowed on the water. A simple 32-ounce bottle with a screw cap or flip cap goes in the boat’s coxswain box or gets left dockside. You don’t drink on the water — you hydrate before and after.
Insulated water bottle — 32 oz
Wide-mouth 32-ounce insulated bottle with a screw or flip cap. Keeps water cold through a full morning practice. No bite valve to get gross in a boat bag.
Our take: Label it with your kid's name. There are fifteen identical bottles in every boathouse.
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A gear bag
A medium duffel that fits unisuit, base layers, windbreaker, water bottle, sunscreen, and sunglasses. Any athletic duffel works. The bag ends up wet sometimes — avoid anything that doesn’t handle moisture.
Under Armour Undeniable duffle bag
Medium duffel with a water-resistant bottom and vented side pocket. Fits a unisuit, windbreaker, base layers, water bottle, and sunscreen without being overpacked.
Our take: The bag ends up in wet boathouses and on damp docks. Water-resistant materials are worth the slight premium here.
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What the club provides
The club provides: shells (1x, 2x, 4+, 8+), oars, riggers, foot stretchers, and erg machines. The boathouse provides the dock and storage. You do not buy a boat. You do not buy oars. You do not buy rowing shoes.
What you’re always on your own for: unisuit, layers, windbreaker, and sun protection.
Used gear notes
Unisuits and windbreakers are fine used — check the fabric elasticity on the unisuit and confirm it’s not permanently stretched. Technical socks should be new. Sunglasses should be new (UV coating wears off on used lenses).
What you can skip
Skip performance GPS watches — coaches track pace and split data from the launch and the erg. Skip rowing-specific ergometers for home — unless your kid rows year-round at a high level, the club erg time is sufficient. Skip multiple windbreakers. One good one handles the whole season.